Things We Left Behind

Both Sloane and Lucian are left to confront their family legacies after the deaths of their fathers, and as they gradually unpack their various manifestations of grief, regret, and unprocessed trauma, their often fiery interactions form the central motive force of the plot. While Lucian is dedicated to erasing his abusive father’s stain on the family name, Sloane is set on continuing her father’s legacy of helping those in need. Sloane’s dedication to continuing Simon’s work becomes apparent in the opening chapters, for Sloane suggests starting a legal aid foundation with Lina and Naomi as soon as she discovers Simon’s interest in Mary Louise’s case. Part of Simon’s legacy was providing better opportunities for Mary Louise’s son, Allen, and by helping Mary Louise directly, Sloane wants to carry on this legacy by picking up where her father left off.

The theme of family legacies manifests in a variety of positive ways in Sloane’s family, and she inherits her values from Simon and Karen. It is soon apparent that these values form the crux of the novel, for Sloane also attributes her high expectations for marriage to her parents, because “how was [she] supposed to find a partner in life when no one measured up to what [her] parents had found in each other?” (10).